Tired of living in the smog-filled city? And thought of going homesteading and living free-style in the country?
Seen floods in the news?
So many times on TV, we see hundreds of houses and farms under water. And yet people continue to buy land and build houses in low lying plains and on the banks of rivers!
Why is that? Do we think it couldn’t possibly happen to us…!
Hunting for the best property?
There are a lot of things to look out for when buying property. You don’t want to buy a doozy!
So don’t rush into buying just any property. Take your time. It’s like playing detectives.
First consider your personal circumstance:
Are you single or married and how young is your family? It isn’t easy building a house yourself when you have a young family.
Unexpected expenses do crop up and things always take longer than you think. And the hardships everyone has to go through, while building, takes its toll on relationships.
Property with or without a house?
If it’s land without a house and without farming equipment, it would be wise to continue working until everything is properly setup.
Buy close to work, schools, shops, hospitals and vet to reduce costs of transport.
If you want to buy land for farming:
You will need a good source of water for your crops. Either water pumped from a nearby river, or from a well. Get a water-diviner chap to check for a water vein. A strong flowing one that runs from east to west.
Will you need an irrigation system? What is the slope of the ground like considering plumbing levels? Make sure there is high ground on which you can build your house and out buildings on.
And good access to that house and outbuildings area. You don’t want to get your car or tractor to get stuck in mud during the rainy season.
And if you plan to have a B&B or sale produce, you will have fewer visitors if your road is a nightmare in the rainy season, a rough rocky sand road with potholes.
And don’t build your buildings in a gully area either. Always check the formation and layout of the countryside. If there should be heavy rains, check where the water will drain down from? It is best to avoid landslides!
Check out the community: Ask your future neighbours, what is the crime rate? Ask if they know the true reason why the property was up for sale?
Check out the housing planning department and find out the building laws of the land. What you can do and can’t do on the plot. Would anyone complain with what you intent to do on the plot?
Was there a possibility of a future road going through the plot? Or it could power lines going over your future home.
Check the going prices in the area. You could be paying more for the property than you should!
Soil and weather conditions:
You can always tell the quality of the soil, by the type of the present grass and weeds already growing there. Consider which areas will be able to support crops and which areas are only for sheep or cattle grazing?
Check the past weather conditions of the area. How often do they have frost or hail, and how bad? A know of an elderly couple that built their farmhouse in a tornado corridor area. They had to replace their roof twice?
Will you need a greenhouse to start growing plants that need shelter through bad weather conditions?
Always have more than one purpose:
If you are farming vegetables or herding cattle, it isn’t sufficient to live debt free or pay off your bond, unless you have more than when venture!
To support your homestead lifestyle, look at the property from another point of view too. Besides farming, what other businesses can you exploit and run on the property?
Perhaps a B&B, pottery or artists’ studio or horse riding venture? If there is a river, can you use it for boating and bathing slides? What about the tourist trade and a wildlife game reserve, what?
How many members of the family can you involve? What hobbies, talents and skills do they have, that could add to the additional business ventures?
What additional buildings will you need? Can you comfortably house quests, staff or seasonal fruit pickers? What entertainment can you supply? Tea gardens, swimming pools, walking trails, golf course, what?
It’s also wise consider those things that have deprecation in value, like cars or pickup to have more than one use, to get more value out of that vehicle. You to hire your tractor to help other people plough their land or pull their cow out of a ditch, etc.
This also applies to any home you buy. To pay off your bond you must have some sort of business working from home.
Conclusion:
Considering all those things, and you will have some ideas how to utilize the property you wish to buy, and get the best results out of your future homesteading lifestyle.
